


Reunion

by firefly115



Series: From the Glade to the Paradise [2]
Category: The Maze Runner (Movies), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types, The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, Happy Ending, He will get one, M/M, Newt deserves to be happy too, Post-The Death Cure, TDC-fix-it, Thomas needs a hug, meanwhile Newt gets to hang out with fellow dead Gladers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-25
Packaged: 2019-05-13 18:06:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14753706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/firefly115/pseuds/firefly115
Summary: After arriving at the safe haven, Thomas was tormented by grief and guilt towards Newt's death and found solace only in writing letters to his deceased friend. He buried these letters in a wooden box under the Monument rock, pretending that the other boy would receive them.One day, when he opened the box to put in another letter, he found his old letters all gone, and in their place laid a single piece of note...





	Reunion

_Thomas! Is that you? ——Newt_

Thomas looked at the scratchy writings on the note, dumbfounded. He felt a rage brewing inside of him——whoever thought it a good idea to play this kind of trick on people needs a serious rough up. He buried the box back into the sand, and stormed off the beach into his residence, the note all crumpled up in his fist.

However, when he regained his composure, his attention was irresistibly drawn to the note again. He sighed and flattened it out carefully——it bore Newt's name after all. Under the better illumination indoor, it was not hard to notice that the note had been written on a piece of paper torn off from one of his previous letters. And those handwritings, though kind of scratchy for some reason, is indeed a close resemblance to those on Newt's letter, which he already knew by heart at this point.

Sleep did not visit Thomas that night.

Before sunrise, he puts together another note.

\---------------------------------------------------------

_Newt,_

_I'm not sure if it is really you or just someone playing a cruel joke. If the latter is true, please stop, and give me back the letters._

_Thomas_

\---------------------------------------------------------

He wanted to laugh at his own desperation, but he still put the note into the box before the first light of the dawn.

After a full day of anxiety, Thomas dug out the wooden box with an eager anticipation, only to find his note still laying there on the bottom of the box. However, before disappointment had time to sink in, he realized that the note was folded to a different direction so his writings were now on the outside.

With a throbbing heart, he opened the folded paper and found a page full of scratchy writings on the back of his original note.

\----------------------------------------------------------

_Tommy,_

_As incredible as it may sound, yes, it is indeed Newt here writing to you. I couldn't find paper and pen in this place, so I have to improvise and write with a charred wood stick on the back of your letter, and this thing is a bloody nightmare to use._

_You may find this unbelievable, but I'm currently sitting with Alby, Chuck and Winston by a bonfire. Yes, THE Alby, Chuck and Winston you knew. By the time I woke up on this island about a month ago, they have been here for quite a while. However, none of us knew how we got here because we all woke up on the beach. I guess this is where people go when they are dead then. It really resembles the Glade on many levels, except that I am the greenest Greenie this time (Chuck just won't stop calling me by that, little bugger!)._

_I found your letters in a box buried by a large rock on the beach three days ago. I can't even start to describe the emotions I went through when I accidentally came across this treasure. Nor do I understand how your letters came across space and time to reach my side. Maybe our association cannot be severed even by death._

_I'm sorry, Tommy, that my letter has caused you pain. I thought it was a good idea to at least say a proper goodbye._

_I hope the miracle would keep up so you can read this one as well. Please don't feel sad for me anymore with the knowledge that I'm still ‘alive’ and well somewhere in this universe. And there is reasonable evidence for me to believe that we will see each other again someday._

_Before that, please take good care of yourself and all the others._

_Always yours,_

_Newt_

\---------------------------------------------------------

Thomas did not realize himself crying until his tear drops marred the paper.

“Thanks...Thank God..” At this moment, a man who has never believed in God found his salvation. He let his relief run free with tears as the murmuring ocean whispered soft solace.

That day marked the beginning of regular communications between the two friends across the barrier of death. The Monument Rock stood faithfully as their messenger. Thomas felt, for the first time after arriving at the Haven, alive.

They tried to make all kinds of explanations about this mysterious connection between the two worlds, but never reached any valid conclusion.

However, through their exchanges, they found that the two worlds were virtually identical except that the days and nights were reversed.

They also discovered that in addition to letters, other small objects that can fit into the box will be transferred as well. Thus Newt finally had a proper pen, and they started to occasionally send each other silly little objects like pretty wildflowers, strange shells and unique pebbles.

One time, Thomas felt mischievous and put a live spider into the box, and received whole three weeks of silence treatment from Newt in exchange.

Thomas wish he could fit himself into the box.

\------------------------------------------

Time flowed by with the exchange of letters.

Year 3 at the Safe Haven, Minho and Sonya formed a family. Thomas was sincerely happy for both of them.

After much debates, he decided to reveal Sonya's identity to Newt. As he expected, Newt went ballistic.

_“...Its been three bloody years Thomas! And you thought of telling me about it now? When she just got married? It's not that I don't trust Minho or anything. But seriously, even a dead man has the right to know! I'm not writing to you for three weeks!”_

Year 5, Sonya gave birth to a baby boy. The infant was born with almost a full head of raven dark hair, just like his dad. But his big, doe-like eyes were a clear heritage from the mom's side. If looked closely, Thomas could even find hints of Newt in the little boy's features. He fought hard not to stare at the baby like a pervert in order to capture those hints. He suddenly came to a understanding of the "fear to forget" Newt was talking about in his letter. He hadn't seen the blonde for so long, he's afraid of losing the memories of those warm eyes and that bright smile.

Of course, Thomas reported the arrival of the baby to his uncle on the other side.

_“...Congrats! You are officially an uncle now. ... ”_

_“...I hereby authorize you to represent me on the delivery of all hugs and kisses and unclely love. ...”_

_“...They are going to name him Newt. ...”_

_“NO BLOODY WAY! Stop them at all cost!”_

Minho and Sonya eventually decided on the name "Charles Newton".

 

Year 9, Vince led a team to explore the nearby continent for more resources and habitable lands. Thomas joined the expedition, which led to a one year hiatus of his letter exchanges with Newt. In fact, he wished this trip to be a shortcut to reach Newt's side. However, things went too smoothly and they hardly encountered any real danger during the trip. He recorded all his experience into a full notebook of dairy, and jammed the whole thing into the box upon his return as a whole year worth of letters.

Year 20, Vince and Jorge passed away in short successions. Thomas, in deep grief, inherited the responsibility to lead the whole colony. His letter exchange with Newt became scarce due to the heavy work load. He also realized something upsetting——Neither passed leaders appeared on Newt's island.

_"Don't sweat, mate. I think it's likely because no one here knows Vince or Jorge except for me. Perhaps only souls who are connected to everyone here will be summoned to the island."_

Thomas clutched to this thought like it was his life.

Year 35, The population on the island nearly doubled, and it became a little bit crowded. As an emerging leader among the young generation, Charles decided to lead a group of people off the island, to colonize the continent. Minho and Sonya were of course among those that were willing to make the trip with their only son. But Thomas stubbornly decided to stay. He felt absolutely guilty that he never told Minho about his communications with Newt. He kept it a secret in fear that breaching the secret would damage the connection between the worlds. He knew the fear was unreasonable, but because he cared too much, he couldn't help to become superstitious.

At the night before their departure, Minho and Thomas stayed in each other's company. They talked a lot, about the past, the future, about their common friends, those who were alive and those who had passed. Minho drank a little too much of Gally's brew, and got teary.

Before they knew, they had reached their fifties. Youth had long been gone, and with their aging bodies, this parting may as well be the the last time they saw each other alive.

Thomas sat with Minho at the foot of the Monument Rock till midnight. Thirty years of sun and rain had blurred many names on the rock. Thomas stared at the names and wondered, is everyone here sitting on their own island right now, waiting for the arrival of those who commemorated their names?

The next day, Thomas felt a hint of dread as he saw the ship carrying Minho and Sonya disappearing beyond the horizon. If what Newt hypothesized was true, he would likely see Minho again on Newt's island someday. And he wondered whether the Asian would kill him all over again when he discovers that he had kept the mailbox a secret for all these years.

 

Year 42, Thomas' health deteriorated, and a new leader had took over most of his responsibilities. The retired old man devoted all his time and energies to write garrulous long letters to Newt.

Year 43, Thomas became too sick to leave the bed. He received very good care. However, without advanced medical knowledge and device, his illness could not be accurately diagnosed and treated. But opposite to the mood of everyone around him, Thomas seemed cheery, like he was finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

One evening, Thomas woke up from three days of coma, and felt a long-lost clarity of mind. Even the stomachache that had been torturing him since the beginning of the year died down to an almost undetectable level.

First time in months, he put his feet on the ground and stood up unaided. He plucked out the IV needle from his arm, dug out the paper and pen he had missed for so long, and wobbled out into the balmy ocean air.

“ _Newt,_

_Sorry for not writing to you for so long. My aging bones cannot even handle the walk from the hut to the beach anymore...”_

He sat at the foot of the rock in the last rays of the setting sun, and wrote with squinted eyes.

_“Lately, I often dreamed of the Glade. I dreamed of you and Alby, Chuck and Minho... Maybe it is close to the time that I see you guys again. I look forwards to our reunion.”_

look forwards to our reunion..look forwards to our reunion.

His train of thought abruptly derailed, and he felt a bone-deep exhaustion. The hard, sun-warmed surface of the Monument pressed firmly against his back, giving him a calming sence of tranquility.

When the sun was finally swallowed by the sea, Thomas sunk with it into a bottomless darkness.

\------------------------------------

When he opened his eyes again, he was laying on a beach under the warm light of the sun. A boy with blond hair was crouching in front of him.

"Welcome to the Paradise, Greenie." The boy said as he saw Thomas waking up. His soft lips curled into a dazzling smile that echoed deeply into Thomas' most cherished memories. And his golden hair danced in the gentle wind, looking brighter than the sunlight.

END

**Author's Note:**

> First time fanfic writer (in English at least). Please be forgiving about the grammars.


End file.
